Steven Gruesbeck, director of Service-Learning at Northwestern State University, has been named to the board of directors for Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s premier non-profit organization dedicated to litter prevention and waste reduction.

“Several of Louisiana’s great universities and colleges are actively engaged in beautification projects, litter prevention, recycling, and other ‘green’ activities,” Gruesbeck said. “During my two-year term, I look forward to exploring new and creative ways to encourage even more of our best and brightest students to take part in Keeping Louisiana Beautiful.”

Since being named director of Service-Learning in 2008, Gruesbeck has been instrumental in engaging Northwestern State students, faculty and staff in projects to improve the quality of life at Northwestern State and in the Natchitoches community, promote environmental responsibility and develop partnerships with area schools and community organizations.

“April is Keep Louisiana Beautiful Month. For the last few years, each spring, Northwestern State and the City of Natchitoches have partnered together on campus and community clean-up projects. This past September, Northwestern State joined the city, the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training to participate in the Cane River Waterway Patrol’s Cane River Lake Clean-up Day. Close to 100 volunteers donned rubber gloves and boots and helped clean up the dry riverbed. This is the sort of collaborative effort that I’d like to encourage all around our state. I think that we have a lot to offer and projects like this help keep institutions of higher education connected to their respective communities,” Gruesbeck said.

Keep Louisiana Beautiful is affiliated with Keep America Beautiful. The non-profit group’s mission is to promote personal, corporate and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. KLB provides informational material, grants and clean-up materials for affiliates and interested groups in a variety of areas that include litter clean-up, litter awareness, enforcement, beautification and sustainable education or litter abatement activities.

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